Kane readies for swearing-in, without one very key deputy

Photo by Mary Wilson / witf

This post has been updated to include a comment from former Chief Deputy Attorney Frank Fina.

The state’s Attorney General-elect has named her top staffers, but not the person who will investigate the handling of the Jerry Sandusky case.

Kathleen Kane said Friday she still has no timetable for the investigation she promised during the campaign, when she criticized the Attorney General’s office for taking years to press charges against Sandusky.

Gov. Corbett was Attorney General during the investigation of the former Penn State defensive coordinator. He has suggested Kane should hire outside counsel for the Sandusky probe.

But Kane said she’s not taking that route.

“I will assign one deputy attorney general that we will hire just for that case, it will be case-specific,” said Kane.

Kane said there’s no schedule for the Sandusky case investigation yet, because the scope of the probe is still unknown.

“I’m not going to put a timeframe on it because I want to make sure it’s done right, that it’s a thorough investigation, that all of the facts are brought out,” she said.

She added that the Sandusky case review and investigating public corruption will be top priorities for her office. But one of the most visible deputies in those cases, Frank Fina, as head of criminal prosecutions, has submitted his resignation.

Kane, who will be sworn in Tuesday, said she learned of Frank Fina’s resignation Thursday.

“I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to anybody as to why,” said Kane.

Fina said it's very simple.

"I just got another job," he said. He said his resignation letter was submitted Tuesday, before he knew of Kane's senior staff appointments.

Kane’s senior staff will retain several current deputies and bring in a former aide to ex-Governor Ed Rendell as her first deputy.

“I think we have a great mix of fresh blood as well as experienced people who know the office of Attorney General,” said Kane.

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